SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Kansas Wesleyan did a masterful job on the defensive end of the court but could not get untracked offensively in a quarterfinal game of the Kansas Conference Women's Championships.
The eighth-seeded Coyotes held top-seeded and 22nd-ranked Evangel to its second-lowest point total of the season, but cold shooting and turnovers undermined the effort in a 70-47 loss Wednesday night inside AGFinancial Arena.
KWU shot 30.6 percent from the field (19 of 62) including 4 of 22 from the 3-point line and committed 18 turnovers - 13 in the second half as the Valor pulled away. Evangel also won the rebounding battle 45-35.
The Coyotes trailed 15-11 after one quarter, but the Valor took control midway through the second period. Leading 22-16 Evangel went on an 11-2 run and led 33-21 at halftime.
The surge continued in the third quarter as the Valor outscored Wesleyan 12-5 in the first 4:33 and led 45-26. Evangel took a 57-38 lead into the final 10 minutes and outscored KWU 37-26 in the second half.
The Valor did the bulk of its damage close to the basket outscoring the Coyotes 44-26 in the paint and was the key factor in the team's 44.8 shooting percentage (30 of 67). Evangel was just 1 of 14 from beyond the 3-point line.
Izzy McCool led KWU with 13 points and six rebounds while Odessa Ozuna had 10 points and five assists. Emma Gertken scored eight and Jocelyn Hall had nine rebounds to go along with six points.
Ali Kamies led five Evangel players in double figures with 13 points. The Valor (25-2) entered the game averaging 91 points; the lowest point total before Wednesday came in a 60-54 victory over Tabor on Nov. 22 in Springfield.